1. Field of the Invention
The subject invention generally pertains to loading dock seals and more specifically to a bracket for mounting them.
2. Description of Related Art
Trucks and other vehicles typically back up against a loading dock or doorway of a building to load or unload the vehicle's freight. A dock seal or shelter usually installed along the periphery of the doorway is often used to seal an air gap that might otherwise exist between the outer wall of the building and the back of the vehicle. If left unsealed, the gap might allow the outside weather to increase the building's heating or cooling load, allow rain and snow to enter the interior of the building or simply subject the inside dock workers to an uncomfortable draft while they service the vehicle.
A conventional sealing member often includes an elongated foam pad bonded to an equally long wood backer. To mount the seals along two vertical side edges of the doorway, several L-shaped brackets connect the edges of the backer to the wall that is adjacent the doorway. As a vehicle backs up against the sealing member, the compressibility and resilience of the foam enables the seal to conform to the contour of the rear vertical edges of the truck. A flexible, wear-resistant cover wrapped over the pad and attached to the edges of the wood backer protects the foam not only from wear, but also helps keep dirt and moisture from entering the pores of the foam. Usually another sealing member lies generally horizontally across the top of the doorway to seal against a rear upper edge of the vehicle.
Upon backing against the dock, the rear of the vehicle typically stops at a nominal set distance from the face of the dock, as usually determined by bumpers that are attached to the wall and positioned to engage the rear of the vehicle. With the back of the vehicle against the bumpers, a compressible foam seal will generally be at its predetermined minimum compressed thickness. If the predetermined minimum thickness is too small relative to its normally relaxed thickness, the seal may be subjected to excessive compressive forces that could damage the seal or at least shorten its life. The compressive forces can be reduced by reducing the normally relaxed thickness of the foam. Such an approach, however, diminishes the sealing effectiveness of the seal, because for a given foam material, generally the thicker it is, the better is its ability to conform to the shape of the vehicle, and thus the better it can seal. Consequently, even the thickness of the wood backer to which the foam pad is mounted can significantly effect the useful life of the seal and/or the seal's ability to seal.
Conventional foam seals with wood backers can be awkward to install or replace due to the bulk of the foam combined with the weight of the wood backer. It usually takes one installer to hold the seal in position, while a second installer anchors it to the wall. For a block wall, the anchors are preferably installed in the mortar between two rows of cement blocks, as a cement block's hollow center reduces the holding force of the anchor. Thus, with the anchors fixed at discrete vertical locations, some vertical adjustment of the seal relative to the brackets may be necessary to place the seal at the proper elevation. Since loading dock seals are mounted relatively high, two installers on two ladders adjusting and mounting an awkward dock seal can be unsafe when it is not done properly.